Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,215,138 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA — including 138,663 crashes, 56,255 fires, and 8,561 deaths.
What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?
A consumer complaint is a free-form report filed by a vehicle owner directly to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) describing a safety concern about their vehicle. NHTSA collects these reports through its Vehicle Owner Defect Report (VOQ) system and publishes them publicly. Each complaint includes the affected component, the date and circumstances of the incident, whether the failure caused a crash or fire, and any reported injuries or deaths. The owner's full narrative description is included verbatim — NHTSA does not edit or moderate the descriptions.
The database below contains over 2,215,138 individual complaints. NHTSA's investigators monitor it for clusters of similar reports — when enough owners describe the same failure mode on the same vehicle, NHTSA may open a Preliminary Evaluation that can lead to a recall. Many of the largest recalls in U.S. history, including the Takata airbag recall and the Hyundai/Kia engine fire recalls, started as patterns visible in this complaint database years before they became formal recalls.
How to interpret what you read
A few principles for reading consumer complaints usefully:
- One complaint is anecdote; a hundred similar complaints is data. NHTSA does not investigate the truthfulness of any individual report — that's the job of the Office of Defects Investigation, which looks at the full pattern. When evaluating a vehicle, look for whether multiple owners describe the same chain of events.
- Crash, fire, injury, and death flags are owner-set. They are not verified by NHTSA. They are still useful as a filter, because owners who tick those boxes are typically reporting more serious incidents than those who don't.
- Component categories are NHTSA-assigned, not owner-assigned. NHTSA standardizes the component field so that complaints can be aggregated. The owner narrative often goes into more detail than the component category captures.
- Complaint volume scales with sales volume. A best-selling model will accumulate more raw complaints than a niche model even at the same defect rate. To compare across vehicles, look at complaints per 100,000 units sold, not raw counts.
If you've experienced a defect
File a complaint. NHTSA's investigators rely on this database to detect emerging defects, and useful complaints — specific, concrete, with dates and mileage and clear descriptions of what happened — feed directly into the agency's pattern detection. The form takes about 10 minutes and is at nhtsa.gov/recalls under "Report a Safety Problem." Your complaint becomes part of the same public record that this page is built from. Owners filing detailed VOQs are how recalls get triggered.
Read more from our blog
Showing 40,517 complaints — component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Incident date: Jul 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. Upon inspection, the contact discovered a low coolant level. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, who determined that there was coolant intrusion into cylinders #2 and #3. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The v... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the is... Read more
MAZDA
CX-50 HYBRID
(2025) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 18, 2025
Incident date: Jul 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the check engine, traction control, and stability control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local Advance Auto Store and was diagnosed with a fuel injector failure. The fuel injectors were replaced, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failur... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 17, 2025
Incident date: Jul 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was illuminated, and there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. The contact stated that upon accelerating from a complete stop, the vehicle shuddered. The contact stated that upon diagnosing the vehicle, the contact determined that there was coolant intrusion in the engin... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2020
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000(Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power and shuddered violently. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was tow... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 17, 2025
Incident date: Jul 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while he was servicing the vehicle, the contact noticed that there was a hole in the rear upper part of the engine block. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was contacted. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal burning oil odor coming from the engine. The vehicle was ta... Read more
Incident date: Jun 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 GMC Sierra. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH, the vehicle started to overheat and lost motive power. A message stating that the vehicle was overheating was displayed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The temperature gauge increased to hot(H). The contact was able to pull to the side of the road and turned on the hazard lights. The local dealer was not... Read more
Incident date: May 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Ranger. The contact stated while driving on several occasions, the infotainment system screen turned black intermittently. Additionally, the contact stated that upon starting the vehicle and accelerating, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer on several occasions, but the failure could not be replicated. The vehicle w... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV. The contact stated that while returning from vacation, the vehicle stalled while the contact's wife was driving at 70 MPH. The contact's wife managed to pull to the shoulder of the highway. The vehicle was towed over 100 miles to the nearest dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and informed the contact that the failure was related to NHTSA Campai... Read more
Incident date: Jul 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact found oil underneath the engine compartment. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 49... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Land Rover Range Rover Velar. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated. The low oil pressure warning light and the check engine warning light were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that coolant intrusion into the engine had caused the engine to fail. The contact was informed that the engine ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Lexus LX 600. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V381000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had n... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH and making a turn, the vehicle stalled in the middle of the roadway. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was unable to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where the fuel pump power control module was replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Addition... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the engine overheated with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who replaced the water pump however, the failure persisted. The cause of the failure was not yet determined, and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the engine might seize before the eng... Read more
Incident date: Jul 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that there was coolant inside cylinder #2. The contact was advised that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2025
Car is 76000 miles , I just purchased the vehicle however coolant bypass valve decide to make car say Engine maintenance require even after having it serviced for an oil change. After I replaced the valve , now the pop up Engine maintenance light did not pop up after that. That was the problem .
Incident date: Jul 4, 2025
Car is 76000 miles , I just purchased the vehicle however coolant bypass valve decide to make car say Engine maintenance require even after having it serviced for an oil change. After I replaced the valve , now the pop up Engine maintenance light did not pop up after that. That was the problem .
Incident date: Jul 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving approxima... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, there was an abnormal chugging sound coming from underneath the hood. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with head gasket failure. The vehicle was taken to another local independent mech... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 16, 2025
Incident date: Jul 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Yukon. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not availa... Read more
Incident date: Jun 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle was hesitating. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic signal, the vehicle was sluggish while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact drove the vehicle back to the residence. While attempting to start the vehicle the following day, the vehicle failed to start. There was no... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that a diagnostic test was needed to determine the cause of the failure. The contact stated that the check engine warning light remained on the instrument panel, and the vehicle was jerking while driving... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an auto body repair shop, where it was diagnosed with the cylinder #1 misfire. The contact replaced the spark plugs; however, the failure recurred, and the check engine warning light was flashing. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the coolant lev... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 BMW X4. The contact was notified of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall rep... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal coolant odor inside the vehicle, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle with coolant intrusion into the cylinders and advised the cont... Read more
Incident date: Jun 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the vehicle was shaking abnormally at start-up. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, a cause for the issue was not found. The failure persisted, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact's husband replaced the spark plugs and ignition coils; however, several days later, the failure reoccurred, and the spark plug... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2019
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, there was white and bluish smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinder and that the long block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mil... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode and decelerated to 2 MPH. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the axle seals were leaking, and that the Lane Departure system h... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2014) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 16, 2025
Incident date: Jul 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine and the service vehicle soon warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the engine was faulty due to coolant intrusion, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacture... Read more
Incident date: May 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The... Read more
TOYOTA
REDUNDANT SIENNA
(2022) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 16, 2025
Incident date: May 10, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated that the check engine, low oil, and battery warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was making an abnormal rattling sound before the vehicle stalled. The contact coasted to a stop but was unable to restart the vehicle. T... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe, and the vehicle was idling rough. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinder, causing the cylinde... Read more
Incident date: Jul 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal knocking or ticking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the sound became louder. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer. The dealer diagnosed t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 30, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2020) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 16, 2025
Incident date: May 3, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Jul 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2012 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that while making a right turn on a main road at 25 MPH, the front lower control arms snapped. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact immediately pulled over onto the side of the road and had the vehicle towed to the residence. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was in... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2019) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 15, 2025
Incident date: Jul 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed that the coolant reservoir was almost empty, even though the vehicle had just been serviced. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent... Read more
ALFA ROMEO
STELVIO
(2018) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jul 15, 2025
Incident date: Jul 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly vibrated, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined there was coolant intrusion into the cylinders resulting in engine damage. The contact w... Read more
Incident date: Jun 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal kn... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle and the engine was running rough. The contact stated that the transmission was slipping, and the vehicle hesitated while driving. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The cont... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine. In addition, the vehicle vibrated, and the transmission was shifting rough. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the head gasket, causing... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the engine had overheated due to coolant intrusion into the engine and the head gasket was blown. The vehic... Read more
Incident date: Jul 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. The contact stated that vehicle hesitated while accelerating. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with coolant intrusion into the engine and advised the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 13, 2025
The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact’s daughter received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Additionally, the contact's daughter was fearful of driving the vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Homestead Auto, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinders. The mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the manufa... Read more
Incident date: Jul 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Honda ADV160. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V195000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted. The contact was informed that there was a priority for newer vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact started that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle was vibrating and shaking abnormally before the vehicle stalled. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that prior to the failure the check engine warning light had illuminated; however, the contact ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the VIN was included in the NHTS... Read more